Learning to Forgive
by Stargatefan1978
Summary: Darcy goes and talks to Astra. This is the second part of the Yellow Envelope.


After speaking with Colonel O'Neill about the yellow envelope, I escape to find my sister. Who I find is still sulking in the lab she shares with Dr. Daniel Jackson, seem as she is his assistant. She was sitting at her own desk with piles of folders pushed to one side and she had one currently opened up in front of her. I knock on the door. She seems to not have heard me from the far away look on her face, not really concentrating on her work. I hear her sniffle and automatically go over to her after quietly shutting the door. I slip my arms around her and hug her close to me.

"As, everything is going to be okay," I try to reassure her in our own secret language.

"Everything is so complicated right now. I'm totally confused," she replies in the same language. "I thought I was an Owen and now I'm not sure." She wipes her nose across the back of her hand. She leans into me for support.

"I know, but give it some time and go talk to the Colonel," I advise. I wasn't very good at giving advise, but I tried. I didn't like seeing my sister so upset, usually it was when her ex-husband had decided to use her as a punching bag. I tried not to think of those days, they were long gone.

"I don't think he really wants to talk too me after I confronted him the other day," she says with a sob.

I grab a seat and sit down next to her. "As, he's really keen to get to know us and talk to us. He told me his door was always open," I say softly.

"Really? I feel like a totally idiot now. I know I should think before I act, but I was just so angry and I didn't mean to," she mumbles.

"I know and I tried to explain that to him, and he doesn't seem upset over it. I don't think much could rattle the Colonel to be honest. I tried to explain that you were just upset."

"Why would someone just dump the yellow envelope on my desk that way?" She queries me, looking up at me and I can see the tears in her eyes.

"We aren't really sure and the Colonel thinks they maybe trying to use it against us," I confess.

"For whatever reason?" She exclaims, frustration evident in her voice.

"Who knows. We can only use it against them and you should really talk to him," I remind her gently again.

"Does Colonel O'Neill even have a room of his own? I don't think I've ever seen him use one," she asks, a frown forming across her lips.

"He's in the mess hall right now. He was keen to get some cake."

"Cake?" She repeats, confusion in her voice.

"Yeah," I confirm.

"So, are we Owen's or O'Neill's now?" She inquires, running her fingers through her long blond hair.

"I don't know. Maybe we should invite the Colonel over for dinner one night to the farm?" I suggest.

"As long as you do the cooking," she agrees. "I'll do the other stuff, but it wouldn't look good on his first dinner over and I poison him." There's a hint of a smile on her face.

I chuckle until she elbows me in the ribs. "Sure, I'll cook. Find out what he likes and doesn't like, and I'll cater for it. There's a few new recipes that I've been wanting to try out. Have you spoken to Daniel about this?"

"Yeah, yesterday. I asked him if he already knew and he admitted that he did. I said that was fair enough and I wasn't angry at him from keeping it from me. He's a good man and a good friend. I know he was friends with the Colonel before he met me."

"What did he say?" I ask curiously.

"Pretty much the same as what you've been telling me. Wait till I calm down and then go talk to him again, find out his side of the story. Why would the Owen's keep something like that from us?" Anguish creeping into her voice.

"You don't remember anything before the Owen's adopted us?"

"No. Every time I try its all fuzzy and blurry. I've booked an appointment with Dr. Strasser about it already," she confines in me.

"I don't know why the Owen's would keep something like this from us. Especially as we got older."

"I guess it didn't help matters when I went against the family tradition and got kicked out because of it," she says bitterly.

"You've still got me," I remind her.

"I know, and I'm grateful for it everyday."

She flicks a page over and I see something the looks similar to Ancient Egyptian.

"What are you working on?"

"One of the lower teams brought something back about in Ancient Egyptian that they thought I might be interested in. So far there has been no mention of the Goa'uld's. Daniel and I think it predates them. It was found on a deserted planet in amongst some old ruins. Daniel had gone to see if he can get another team there to have a more thorough look. He's asked me to go with him."

"Cool. That will keep your mind off things here."

"Yeah, I guess. I've been warned to bring lots of water, sun screen and cool clothes for during the days. The temperatures can get pretty high, like as in desert heat high and a few warm clothes for night, as it can get pretty cold at night. As that is what the planet is mostly covered in, with very little water and plant life."

"You should be used to that sort of thing by now."

I get up and make myself a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for her. I find the English Breakfast that she loves and remember to add milk and sugar. I scrounge around in the cookie tin and find some of the chocolate creamy cookies she loves so much. I find some cake and help myself. I place them on a small tray and bring them over to her. We help ourselves to our food and beverage of choice.

"Yeah, I guess. I just have a lot on my mind right now," she admits.

"It is very confusing at the moment," I agree. "I'm trying not to think about it too much or otherwise my head might explode."

She snorts into her cup and I see a hint of another smile. "Somehow I don't think Janet will allow that. I guess going off world for a few days will be good to get away from here. But, I think I should go to talk too Colonel O'Neill before I go. I don't want to be thinking about the confrontation, what ifs and all that stuff while I'm there. I need to go there with a clear head," she decides.

"Good. Are you finishing at normal time tonight?" I ask her.

"Yeah. You can come pick me up. My car should be ready by Friday. I'd like to sleep in my own bed for a change. I'll just bring some of these home and work on them from there. Though I can't remember the last time I had a day off," she says, scratching her head and finishing her cookies.

"Me either. Though we get to do stuff not everybody else does," I remind her, finishing the remanning bits of my cake.

"True," she agrees, finally smiling for the first time without any tears.

"You gonna be okay?" I query, concern in my voice. She can hide her feelings pretty well, but I'd like to think I can read her well enough.

"Yeah, not right now, but I will be," she replies.

I nod my head. "Good. I'll come by at lunch and we can have lunch together," I tell her in a voice that means no arguing about it.

"Thanks. What's today? Wednesday, so most likely some sort of pasta dish. That should make you happy," she teases.

"Eh. It depends on the pasta and home made pasta is always the nicest," I counter.

She rolls her eyes at me. She knows I'm vegetarian and I eat pretty healthily, plus exercise a lot to keep myself fit for off world.

"Okay, I'll see you at lunch," she agrees, then hugs me before I leave.

Before I exit the room, I turn around again and I see that she has gone back to work on translating with a new eagerness. I take it as a good sign and look forward to having lunch with her. It's not everyday we get to have lunch together and its something we try to do on a regular basis. I quietly leave the room with my own laptop tucked under my arm and return back to my own lab, getting on with my own work.


End file.
